About the shofar...

The shofar, also spelled SHOPHAR, plural SHOFROTH, SHOPHROTH, or SHOFROT, a ritual musical instrument, made from the horn of a ram or other animal, used on important Jewish public and religious occasions. In biblical times the shofar sounded the Sabbath, announced the New Moon, and proclaimed the anointing of a new king. This latter custom has been preserved in modern Israel at the swearing in of the president of the state.

Shofar sounding the Tekiah: the "blast," one long blast with a clear tone.

Shofar sounding the Shevarim: a "broken," sighing sound of three short calls.

The Teruah: the "alarm," a rapid series of nine or more very short notes.

The Tekiah Gedolah: "the great Tekiah," a single unbroken blast, held as long as possible.

(The shofar playing in the background is a demonstration of all the different soundings)

The shofar was sounded:

"And when the blast of the trumpet sounded long and became louder and louder, Moses spoke, and God answered him by voice." (Exodus 19:19 NKJV)

To praise God.

"With trumpets and the sound of a horn; shout joyfully before the Lord, the King." (Psalm 98:6 NKJV)

As an early warning siren.

"When you go to war in your land against the enemy who oppresses you, then you shall sound an alarm with the trumpets, and you will be remembered before the Lord you God, and you will be saved from your enemies." (Numbers 10:9 NKJV)

To assemble the people.

"Then all the Midianites and Amalekites, the people of the East, gathered together; and they crossed over and camped in the Valley of Jezreel. But the Spirit of the Lord came upon Gideon; then he blew the trumpet, and the Abiezrites gathered behind him."

To assemble the troops.

"Therefore, whenever you hear the sound of the trumpet, rally to us there. Our God will fight for us." (Nehemiah 4:20 NKJV)

To call God's people to worship Him.

"So it shall be in that day that the great trumpet will be blown; they will come, who are about to perish in the land of Assyria, and they who are outcasts in the land of Egypt, and shall worship the Lord in the holy mount at Jerusalem." (Isaiah 26:13 NKJV)

At the swearing of an oath to God.

"Then they took an oath before the Lord with a loud voice, with shouting and trumpets and rams' horns." (2 Chronicles 15:14 NKJV)

In the midst of battle.

"Then the Lord will be seen over them, and His arrow will go forth like lightning. The Lord God will blow the trumpet, and go with whirlwinds from the south." (Zechariah 9:14 NKJV)

To announce the beginning of festivals.

"Then you shall cause the trumpet of the Jubilee to sound on the tenth day of the seventh month; on the Day of Atonement you shall make the trumpet to sound throughout all your land. And you shall consecrate the fiftieth year, and proclaim liberty throughout all the land to all its inhabitants. It shall be a jubilee for you; and each of you shall return to his own possession, and each of you shall return to his family.." (Leviticus 25:9-10 NKJV)

NOTE: One of the Hebrew words for "trumpet" is also the word for "jubilee." The "Year of Jubilee" began with the sounding of the trumpet. 1998 marks the beginning of Israel's first 50 year "Jubilee" since becoming a nation in 1948

At the return of Yeshua, Jesus the Messiah.

"For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with a voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord. Therefore comfort one another with these words." (1 Thessalonians 4:16-18 NKJV)

Shofar...so good! But what about that smell?????

Shofars do have a very strong, distinctive odor. After all, it is a ram's horn! So how do you get rid of it....or, at the very least, minimize it?

A very dear sister (Love ya Toni!!) told me something that I found very interesting and helped me to accept that little bit of odor and even be thankful for it. She said that the odor from her shofar reminds her that even though we, as believers, STINK in our SIN.....God is gracious and merciful and He forgives us and loves us anyway! So everytime she smells that odor, she is reminded of God's grace towards her. So I too have embraced that and have chosen to leave some of the odor (ok, LITTLE of the odor) to remind me that my righteousness is like filthy rags and that I serve a God of LOVE and GRACE and MERCY! Baruch HaShem!

However, if you choose to get rid of the odor here are several different ways you can do so. But more than likely a very minimal hint of the odor will remain.

The best method of cleaning:

Step 1: Buy a “nerf” ball (soft and pliable, about 3” diameter), an ear plug (the squeeze and insert type available at most drug stores), some fish tank gravel (not sand and not very big, natural and not dyed is best, otherwise you will have to wash out the color left behind), some lemon juice/ alcohol.

Step 2: Plug the mouthpiece with the earplug. Mix 1 cup gravel. Pour mixture in horn. Plug the bell end with the nerf ball.

Step 3: Play the “maraca” (shake it hard!) for about 30 to 45 minutes.

Step 4: Pull out the nerf ball and empty out the gravel. Pour about a cup of alcohol in and replace the ball. Shake for about a minute.

Step 5: Pull out the ball. Pour out the alcohol. Remove the earplug. Let it dry. Use a pipe cleaner dipped in alcohol or peroxide to clean small mouthpiece where the gravel can't reach.

The alcohol should dry quickly. It should help eliminate the smell and disinfect the horn.

Do not let any liquid stay in too long. You could also use witchhazel with spearmint but use it sparingly.

When the horn is clean, anoint the bell end with some anointing oil that has frankincense and myrrh. This is in line with blowing the shofar unto the Lord.

Repeat this cleaning process after a couple weeks if the smell is still offensive.